THE 2025 Formula 1 season will see a huge change in partnerships as TAG Heuer has stepped in as the official timekeeper, replacing Rolex.
TAG Heuer’s return comes as the first individual partner as part of F1’s 10-year deal with luxury goods company LVMH.
The deal, which started on January 1 this year, ends Rolex’s decade-long partnership that began in 2013.
It means that the traditional view of a Rolex clock ticking onto the race start time – signalling the drivers to head on the formation lap – will be changed.
It’s not clear if this long-standing race feature will be ditched entirely, or simply changed from a Rolex to a Tag Heuer branded clock.
The partnership continues a long legacy for TAG Heuer in Formula 1, having first appeared as a sponsor in the sport 56 years ago.
The brand already partners with Red Bull Racing and the Monaco Grand Prix.
F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali: “I am delighted to welcome TAG Heuer as the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1 as they start the next stage of their long history in our sport,
“With their focus on innovation, accuracy and excellence, they are a natural partner,
“And I am excited to see how our intertwining heritage can tell new stories for the future as we celebrate our 75th year.”
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THE world of F1 can be savage, with employees discarded like used tea bags.
Danish driver Kevin Magnussen was a rising star of the McLaren team when he made his debut in 2014 alongside Jensen Button.
But when he finished the season trailing in eleventh place, he was swiftly replaced by two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso.
Instead of breaking the bad news to him in a face-to-face meeting, boss Ron Dennis got his assistant to send Magnussen a short and impersonal email.
Worst still, the curt message landed in Kevin’s inbox on his 23rd birthday.
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LVMH agreed to a whopping $1billion 10-year global partnership at the rate of more than $100m a season, which was announced in October.
As part of the deal champagne will return to Grand Prix podiums as part of the deal with LVMH, Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Moet & Chandon is a key brand in the company and is set to be sprayed as part of post-race celebrations, with champagne not featuring in the sport in three-years.
Family-owned Italian sparkling wine-makers Ferrari Trentino have been on Grands Prix podiums since 2021.
Then-Liberty president Greg Maffei said at the time of the deal being announced: “LVMH and Formula 1 are two global brands that consistently push the boundaries of creativity and innovation, values core to Liberty Media.”
